1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to an obturator for a refrigerator for excluding heat or cool air that transfers to and from a refrigerator.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a refrigerator discharges cool air generated by a freezing cycle comprising a compressor, a condenser, an expansion value, an evaporator, thereby lowering temperature for freezing or chilling foods. A refrigerator is equipped with a door gasket at a door liner, i.e., an inner edge of a refrigerator door for excluding heat flow into a refrigerator from outside as well as preventing cool air discharged to a refrigerator from leaking out to the outside.
FIG. 1 is a view showing a door of a conventional refrigerator. Referring to FIG. 1, a refrigerator door 10 is comprised of an outer door 20 made of iron plate, a door liner 30 for combining with the outer door 20 using ABS resin of predetermined shape manufactured by vacuum molding process, an urethane foaming member 40 manufactured by foam molding process, mounted between the outer door 20 and the door liner 30 for insulation. Here, in one side of the door liner 30 a door gasket for isolating an interior of a refrigerator from the outside, is mounted.
FIG. 2 is a view showing the door gasket mounted on a door liner of mullion part partitioning a freezer and a cool chamber in a conventional refrigerator door. Referring to FIG. 2, the conventional door gasket 50 is comprised of a sticking part 52 for sticking on an outer case 70 of a main body in a refrigerator with the help of magnetic force generated by installed magnet 51 within it; an air bag 53 formed at the bottom of the sticking part 52 as one body together with the sticking part and divided into many regions by partitions for making, at the bottom of the sticking part, predetermined spaces to which air could be instilled so as to alleviate impulse; a combining part 54 of an anchor shape, formed at the bottom of the air bag 53 as one body together with the air bag for fixing in a combining groove 31 of the door liner 30. Here, the air bag 53 is provided for alleviating impulses generated when the refrigerator door 10 is closed on the refrigerator's main body 60. Also, the outer case 70, preferably, may be made of magnetic material so that attractive force is exerted therebetween by the magnet 51.
When the refrigerator door 10 is closed onto a front surface of the refrigerator's main body 60, attractive force is exerted between the magnet 51 installed within the sticking part 52 and the outer case 70, so that the refrigerator door 10 get stuck on the main body 60, whereby an interior of the refrigerator is isolated from the outside.
In the meantime, when a user draws back the refrigerator door for separating the door 10 from the main body 60, drawing back force is exerted on the combining part 54 by the door liner 30 combined with the refrigerator door 10. Here, the tensile force transferred to the combining part 54 is, in sequence, directly delivered to the air bag 53 formed as one body with the combing part and then to the sticking part 52 formed as one body with the air bag. Accordingly, the sticking part 52 stuck on the refrigerator's main body 60 is separated from the outer case 70 of the main body, whereby a gap between the main body and the door of the refrigerator begins to open.
Lots of requirements are needed for the door gasket with consideration of refrigerator's characteristics. Particularly, among those requirements, insulation property which prevents cool air from leaking out to the outside and excludes heat flow from the outside by sealing the refrigerator door and main body closed, is strongly needed.
In the meantime, a lateral face of the refrigerator main body 60 is comprised of the outer case 70 constituting an outer wall of the refrigerator; an inner case 80 constituting an inner wall of the refrigerator; a hot-line 90 which is installed at the rear side of the outer case 70 for preventing dewdrop formation on the refrigerator's wall that would be generated by temperature difference between the inside and the outside of the refrigerator. Here, heat generated from the hot-line 90 may be transferred to the outer case 70 and, at the same time, this heat may flow into the interior of the refrigerator main body through an inner path A of the refrigerator, that is, through a gap between the inner case 80 and the door liner 30 of the refrigerator door.
Such heat transfer lowers cooling performance of the refrigerator itself much more, causing a problem that power dissipation increases accordingly. Also, a conventional door gasket 50 as shown in FIG. 2, in which the only sticking part 52 maintaining a predetermined width is stuck on the refrigerator main body 60, prevents outside heat or inside cool air from transferring to and from the refrigerator. Here, after long use of the door gasket, the sticking part 52 get worn out due to frequent opening of the refrigerator door and the sticking part 52 of the door gasket 50 may not be stuck on the outer case 70 of the refrigerator main body when the door 10 is closed on the refrigerator main body 60. Accordingly, closing is not made properly between the door 10 and the main body 6, so that the inside cool air may leak out to the outside of the refrigerator or the outside heat may flow into the inside of the refrigerator.
As is mentioned above, a problem is generated that the cooling performance of the refrigerator is lowered considerably in case that cool air leaks out or outside heat flows into the inside of the refrigerator due to incomplete closing between the refrigerator door and main body.